Platform-spring for vehicles



(No Model.)

S. R. GARDNER.

PLATFORM SPRINGYPOR VEHICLES.

No. 394,686. Patented Dec. 18, 1888.

a. Int/6711507:

%m 3me mm N. PETERS. Mo-Uflflgnphar, Wnlhinglen, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL R. GARDNER, OF PORT GOLDEN, NEYV JERSEY.

PLATFORM-SPRING FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,686, dated December 18, 1888. Application filed August 23, 1838- Serial No. 283,566- No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL R. GARDNER, of Port Golden, in the county of Warren and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Construction of Platform-Springs for Vehicles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification, in which Figure l is a view in perspective of a platform-spring embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a side elevation of one end of the spring; Fig. 3, a top view of the same end, and Fig. 4 a transverse vertical section in line a: m of Fig.

The object of my invention is to simplify the construction of platform-springs for vehicles and to lessen the cost thereof.

It consists in an improved link-connection, as hereinafter described and claimed, for uniting the lateral and transverse members of the spring.

In the accompanying drawings, A A represent the side members, and B the transverse end member, of a compound or platform spring. Said members are severally constructed in the customary manner, each of a series of superimposed elastic plates or leaves, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and the transverse member B is suspended from the ends of the two lateral members A A at a right angle therewith by means of interposed links C (1, constructed and arranged as follows: The outer end of each of the side members, A, is bent upon a line which forms an angle of forty-five degrees with the length of the plate, the end being doubled upon itself on said line to form a terminal diagonal hook, D, on the upper side of said end, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and l. The corresponding end of the transverse member B of the spring is likewise doubled upon a line which forms an angle of forty-five degrees with the length of said member to form a terminal diagonal hook, E, on the under side of said end, and the diagonal hooked ends thus produced on the side and end members are so adjusted that when the end member, B, is at a right angle with the side members, A A, their corresponding ends will, if brought together, form with each other a miter-joint. (See Fig. 3.) The coupling-links C C, by which these counterpart beveled and hooked ends of the lat eral and end plates are united, are formed with parallel transverse slots at each end, through which the hooked ends of the lat eral and transverse plates or members of the spring are passed, as shown. in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, so that the transverse member I; shall be suspended by said hooks to swing freely from the ends of the side members, A A, at a right angle therewith, as shown in Fig. l. The slots are elongated sufficiently to permit the links to have free movement therein to compensate for the rolling or endwise motion of the springs when loaded, and their edges are rounded to ease the swinging motion of the links.

The hooks D and E are so bent over as to prevent a disengagement of the link therefrom without bringing the link very nearly into parallelism with the face of the member to which it is coupled, and this is prevented, when the spring is in use, by the normal position of its members, as described.

To prevent either link C from working inward upon or along the spring-plate and away from the hook which engages it, an offset, F, is formed on the outer face of each member to engage the cross-bar of the link, as shown in Fig. -l.

By means of my said invention the complicated forms of joints and couplings between the members of the platform-spring in common use, involving bolts, nuts, double links, &c., are avoided and the joint is reduced to the fewest possible parts, and is made strong and secure to work with perfect freedom and ease.

I claim as my invention- In the construction of a platform-spring, the combination, with the horizontal, lateral, and transverse members thereof, whose ends are severally bent each into a hook on a line diagonal to the length of the member at an angle of forty-five degrees therewith, of slotted coupling-links disposed in a vertical to this specification inthepresence of two subplane at the same angle and engaged at scribing Witnesses. each end by said hooks to connect the corrcsponding ends of 'said members, substantially bAMUEL GARDNER 5 in the manner and for the purpose herein set \Vitnesses:

forth. E. P. MoCANN,

In testimony whereof I have signed my name NATHAN CURL. 

